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Born To Be A Thug

A couple weeks back, culture czar Bill Bennett said crime would go down if all black babies were aborted. A couple months back, a business publication editor in Brandon said that the inner city is breeding young criminals. A couple years back, a city councilman told a group of North Jackson adults that "young tigers" are roaming our streets, looking to hurt us.

Bennett And His Black Boys

"If you wanted to reduce crime, you could—if that were your sole purpose—you could abort every black baby in this country and your crime rate would go down." No, that quote did not loom anonymously on some racist Web site, nor did some bigot boom it at a Council of Conservative Citizens rally. A former member of Ronald Reagan's Cabinet—his Secretary of Education, in fact—uttered it on the public's radio airwaves.

No Minors Allowed

I had only eaten half of my French fries at Fenian's one night when they asked me to leave. I was in the back watching Fatman Squeeze with some friends. I was drinking water.

NYC to Lower Voting Age to 16?

[verbatim from National Youth Rights Association]

June 8, 2005: New York City could become the first American city to lower its voting age to sixteen after Councilwoman Gale Brewer introduces her bill to lower the municipal voting age from 18 to 16 on Wednesday.

The Elephant In The Classroom

The governor and his loyal cabal of "Stepford senators" seem to believe that Mississippians are stupid. And they sure want to keep us that way.

Mrs. Hodges and Mrs. Salter

Back in the '70s when I was at Neshoba Central, a gawky girl from a trailer park bursting with ideas that I didn't know where to put, two women saved my life. Mrs. Oneida Hodges and Mrs. Alline Salter gave me permission to find my voice, to reach deep inside myself and say, "I have something to say, and I'm going to say it." Those two English teachers, my mentors, not only told me it was OK to express myself, they also taught me that expressing alone is not enough. You have to observe, research, think, ponder, rewrite, think more, question, consider, adjust.

[Ladd] Life in the Fast Lane

Not to be a drama queen here, but hanging out at the Mississippi Legislature can really shatter one's faith in humanity. After doing years of research on harmful youth policies (zero tolerance, adult sentencing, "superpredator" rhetoric, media demonization of youth), I'm already convinced that most people don't give a damn about young people they didn't raise. And too many don't really care enough about the ones they did.

[Ladd] Catching a Creative Wave

I've been thinking a lot about who's in charge lately. This first entered my brain because of Haley Barbour's half-hearted attempts at appointing a Cabinet that looks like Mississippi (for the record, that would be close to half black and just over half female. And a good percentage of them would be under 40. For the record). But, he tells us, there aren't enough "outstanding" women who are "qualified" for "leadership" positions in his administration. Ouch.

[Ladd] You Got the Power

They call you "sorry." "Lazy." "Apathetic." Or, worse: "Dumb." At the same time, they treat you like an idiot. They don't talk about anything that matters much to you. They make fun of your music, and your baggy pants, or maybe your tattoo, or even your compassion. Or, they come speak at your church while they leave their lapel pins in their SUV's ash tray. They then expect you to turn out and vote for them. If you don't, you're "sorry."

[Kinnison] Engage This

"One of the most patriotic things you can do in this country is protest." — Keith, 21

SPANN: The War Roller Coaster

Driving to work the day after Dubya officially declared war on Iraq, I was struck by a feeling of patriotism coupled with sadness. I noted the American flags plastered on bumpers and the ribbons on antennas swaying in the March wind as I sat in traffic along I-55 South. The morning had a surreal, bittersweet quality as I pondered whether everyone else was also listening to war updates on PRM. Call me callous, but until Monday, March 17, 2003, I hadn't really felt much one way or the other about Dubya's little war. I remember milling around the kitchen preparing dinner that evening while I listened to the president's address and the subsequent over-analysis. Suddenly, I felt a pang of recognition in my chest. Those afternoons spent sitting in the grill at Millsaps College watching Operation Desert Storm updates came flooding back to me. And for a moment, I even imagined my poor dad being pulled out of retirement to serve just one more tour with the 101st Airborne from Fort Campbell, Ky.

LADD: Talk About Freedom

Join another vigil for peace and safety of the troops Sunday, March 23, at 7 p.m. in front of the Eastland Courthouse on West Capitol Street downtown. This column is dedicated to Todd Allen, who showed up one day to help distribute the Jackson Free Press because he believes in our mission. He is a peace-lover and an Army chaplain who is now en route to the Middle East. Godspeed.

LADD: Hoofbeaters Make It Real

Remember the reception to honor the Murrah Hoofbeat staff Tuesday, March 4, from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Smith Robertson Museum and Cultural Center (downtown at 528 Bloom Street). Come have cookies and punch, and congratulate these young journalists.

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